Cavanaugh No. 1 With Eagles 18 No-shows On 1st Day At Training Camp

July 18, 1986|by COULT AUBREY, The Morning Call

For the second time in 10 months, Ron Jaworskihas lost his job as the Philadelphia Eagles' starting quarterback.

The first time was last Sept. 9, the day after he was sacked eight times in a 21-0 loss to the New York Giants. That proved to be a mistake in judgment by former coach Marion Campbell and probably led to his firing with one game remaining in the season.

The second time was yesterday, the first day of training camp under new coach Buddy Ryan. As one of 18no-shows, seven of them veteran unsigned free agents, he automatically forfeited the position he's held, except for injury and last year's temporary demotion, since coming to Philadelphia in 1977.

He was quickly reinserted into the starting lineup in the fifth game last year when rookie Randall Cunningham failed to move the team, but regaining his leadership role this time around may not be so easily achieved. When and if he comes to terms, he'll have to beat out Matt Cavanaugh.

And Cavanaugh, whom the Eagles acquired on draft day from San Francisco, doesn't plan on relinquishing the job.

"I don't care how I got it," the nine-year veteran from Pitt said, "I'm just happy to get a shot at starting. But being No. 1 in the paper means nothing. I've got a lot of work to do, a lot of offense to learn.

"I came in here looking to be the starter, anyway."

Ryan traded away a third-round pick this year and a second next year to acquire Cavanaugh, based primarily on films of his two starts in 1984 and 1985 against the Eagles, his only starts in three years with the 49ers. He won both games, completing 37 of 66 passes for 507 yards and four touchdowns.

"He's the veteran quarterback we wanted," Ryan said. "He's probably the best backup quarterback in the National Football League. We wanted two veteran quarterbacks, and now we have them."

Not quite. With Jaworski out of camp, the competition Ryan sought won't be there until Jaworski signs or he acquires another veteran.

Cavanaugh thinks he'll sign. "I don't doubt that some day he'll be back to play for the Eagles," he said. "I couldn't tell you when, but I'm sure he still wants to play."

But do the Eagles still want him? "I'm sure they do," Cavanaugh said. "He's a seasoned veteran with a lot of ability, a lot of poise and has beenthrough a lot. You've got to have him on the roster."

Jaworski is only one of three projected starters among free agents who dropped to No. 2 on Ryan's depth chart because they did not report by the 7 p.m. deadline. Bethlehem tight end John Spagnola lost his job to Dave Little, and rookie Reggie Singletary, a 12th-round draft choice, replaces Kenny Clarke at defensive tackle.

Defensive end Tom Strauthers was in danger of losing his job to Byron Darby, but he agreed to terms late yesterday afternoon along with veteran linebacker Rich Kraynak and rookie linebacker Seth Joyner, the No. 8 draft pick from Texas-El Paso.

The Eagles also reached a deal with All-Pro free safety Wes Hopkins, who is in the option year of his agreement. The four one-year contracts reportedly will pay Hopkins $3.4 million and carry an annuity valued at more than $1 million.

"I don't see any realistic agreement with Spagnola or Clarke in the near future, either today or tomorrow," said Patrick Forte, who along with new president Harry Gamble has been handling all of the negotiations. "We're talking."

Veteran cornerback Herman Edwards, who has started 135 concesutive games since making the team as a free agent in 1977,agreed to terms yesterday afternoon and was in camp for a physical.

Ryan was remarkably composed for a man facing a disaster even greater than the Eagles camp of 1985. He insisted he is totally happy with the players he has.

"Take Spagnola," he said. "He caught a lot of balls, 129 in the last two years, but this Little kid, he's a helluva football player. He's got size (6-foot-2, 232) and I think he'd challenge John whether he was here or wasn't here.

"We've got good football players and are going to be a good team, as I've told you guys. If the guys negotiating are a part of it, that's great. If not, that's also great.

"Washington and Dallas and New York, they know we're tough and are going to be tougher. We think we can win and we're going to win. I don't see why we can't win that division, and the only way they're going to prove that wrong is if in December we're not there (playoffs)."

Ryan will hold his first practice at 9 a.m. today, and he's promised to pick up right where he left off at the end of the May minicamp in Kennedy Stadium. There will be a nutcracker drill and hitting.

The only difference will be the missing free agents and unsigned draft choices.

"We can't worry about the people on the beaches," he said. "We can't put in a system for people laying on the beach sun tanning. We've got to put in a system for the people that are here. And we'll win."

That's the one area in which Ryan never wavers: he insists the Eagles will win, with or without the veterans. It promises to be an exciting camp.

FROM THE EAGLES NEST - Ryan will hold two practices daily on the fields below Farrell Stadium, at 9 a.m. and 2:30 or 3 p.m., depending upon how much time he thinks the players need between sessions. They are open to the public . . . All 70 players who had earlier signed contracts showed up in time for Ryan's 7 p.m. meeting.